


the sight of you leaves me weak

by roswhelp



Category: HLVRAI- FANDOM, Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Boomer centric fic, Canon-Typical Violence, Doctor Coomer gets kind of fucked up but he gets better, Fluff and Angst, Injury, M/M, Other, actually, benrey care coomer? whadda hell..., everybody care coomer hell yeah, fuck Forzen, i’ve been writing SO MUCH these past few days omg, let bubby feel things for this man... please, tommy going HAM and demanding respect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25722862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roswhelp/pseuds/roswhelp
Summary: of COURSE. of COURSE the military would resort to using experimental black mesa tech to try and defeat our heroes. and of course coomer would do whatever he could to keep his friends safe.
Relationships: Benrey/Tommy Coolatta/Gordon Freeman, Bubby/Dr. Coomer (Half-Life)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 128





	the sight of you leaves me weak

Forzen was a real pain in the ass. A smart pain in the ass, sure, but still not necessarily the kind that Bubby found himself around voluntarily. Gordon was another, but he couldn’t help but see a bit of himself in the young man. Intelligent, angry, drawn into this place by forces he didn’t quite understand yet. It made him that much tougher on him. Tommy Coolatta, of course, was the only one with a quantifiable intelligence close to his own. Though his own tendencies to default to written guidelines and codes when at a loss for what to do was annoyingly nark-ish, he still appreciated the input he had to offer. Doctor Coomer… well, how does one understand Coomer as a whole? Yes, he could drawl on for hours at a time, but it was part of his charm. The scientist had always been beside Bubby throughout his hardships, an almost immovable presence in his life. In all of their lives, now that he thought about it. No matter what obstacles they all faced, Coomer made it out with a smile, even if it was a few minutes after the rest of the group. So far, at least.

Forzen was too smart at this point. He had spent enough time around the group to pick up on everyone’s abilities, whether they be assets or deficits to their progress. Who could lead, who could heal. Who to target.

Doctor Bubby found himself a few steps ahead of the group, as per usual. His knowledge of the Black Mesa facilities made it easiest for him to lead the way, while Freeman took out any major threats. Of course, ever since he lost his arm, he had to chicken out behind the rest of the science team, but they were getting closer to the Lambda Lab with every enemy vanquished and would finally be able to fix him up. Bubby was so caught up in navigating through the labs that he walked straight into the line of turret fire. 

“Shit!” He cried out, just barely able to avoid the bullets as they went after his feet. Wait, his feet? Bubby looked forward to where he was running into, finally noticing the grid of lasers. The person manning the turret was trying to direct him into it! He abruptly changed direction toward the gunner, staying out of the way of the ominous glowing weapons. 

“Noooo, lame!” He heard a voice cry out. “Go into the cube!” 

“It’s- I think it’s Forzen!” Tommy shouted from the other side of the room. “Don’t worry, I’ll help!” He ducked out from the shelf he was hiding behind, gun pointed as he started running at the turret from the other side. 

“Fucking get him!” Gordon yelled from behind a crate, looking up at the scene. “Don’t let him escape!”

Bubby increased speed, hoping to finally capture the brat soldier. He’d been waiting for a chance like this to prove his ability as a leader, and here it was! He only had to beat Tommy to the punch. He grew reckless, sparks coming out from under his feet. It was only then that he heard Doctor Coomer next to him. 

“Bubby, look out!” He felt himself get knocked down to the side by familiar hands, and looked over in confusion. Doctor Coomer stood where he just was, fear on his face turning to relief as another laser grid rose up around him, almost like a box. Bubby watched in horror as the laser cube began to close in around Coomer, trapping him in place. It shrank even further as the beams reached the Doctor’s still outstretched arms, sending what looked like electric shocks into his hands. Coomer cried out in anguish, the sounds cutting in and out in a disjointed manner. The cube continued to get smaller and smaller, forcing its way through his body until it disappeared into his chest. He finally fell to his knees, then slumped to the floor. 

“Harold!” Bubby screamed, rushing to Coomer’s side. He quickly checked the man’s pulse, eyes wide with fear for a moment. Thank god, it was faint but still there. 

“Oh fuck, wrong one.” Forzen said, clearly upset. “Damn, why didn’t you just stay in the box? Lame.” 

It was less than a second before the soldier was completely engulfed in flames. 

“Hey, ouch!” He started to run out of the room, still alight, but not before Tommy could tackle him. 

“What did you do to our friend!” Tommy cried, before realizing the combination of being burned and knocked to the ground by himself had caused the man to pass out in pain. 

“Shit, what the hell was that? What’d he do to Coomer?” Freeman approached Bubby, abruptly stopping when a wall of fire came up before his feet. “Christ, Bubby!” he yelled, jumping up to avoid getting burned. Bubby didn’t even look in his direction, still completely focused on Coomer. 

“Harold…” Bubby quietly gasped. He had maneuvered the unconscious man to his back, inspecting him for any visible traces of the damage he just took. There were no burns or entry markings anywhere on his body, but he had clearly seen the doctor just take a huge hit. As he continued, more of the room caught fire. 

“Bubby, you need to calm down.” Gordon said slowly. 

“Fuck all the way off!” Bubby cried out, the flames rising. “I don’t need to calm down, I need to kill the motherfucker who did this!” His hands caught fire at his sides. 

“Doctor Bubby, please don’t!” Tommy stood between Bubby and Forzen. 

“Oh, fuck off, Tommy! He deserves this much at least!” His hair began to singe at the ends, smoke coming out of his ears.

“Wh-I-I’m not saying he does-he won’t deserve it!” Tommy answered, tears in his eyes.

“Oh, so the child thinks it’s wrong to kill now! You could’ve spoken up about any of the other thousands we’ve gone through!” Bubby stood up, ready to take aim at Forzen’s unconscious form.

“I’m saying that he’s the only one who knows what just FUCKING happened!” Tommy shouted. As he did, a strange chill came over the room. 

“It’s not like we’ve ever seen anything like this, and in case you forgot, none of us are the medical kind of doctor!” The area around Tommy began to darken, Bubby’s eyes widening in response. 

“Haven’t we fucked up enough?” Lights began to pass in the dark behind Tommy, almost like space was moving around him. Gordon and Bubby looked at him in awe as the temperature dipped even lower, even as the fires burned on. Tommy noticed their gaze. 

“What, did I- Did I fucking stutter?”

Bubby stepped back, mentally connecting a few dots. Tommy’s ability to fight, his relatively composed nature, and his loyalty were similar to… an employer of sorts. Perhaps Black Mesa was more aware of it’s connections to him than previously thought. “Fine.” He put out most of the fires in the room, going back to Coomer’s side. 

Tommy took a deep breath. “Good. Okay, I think it’s important to… to find somewhere to rest, and fix Doctor Coomer.” The chill, as well as the dark space behind him, began to fade as he turned to Gordon. “You’re okay, right Mr. Freeman?” Gordon was knocked out of his daze at the sound of Tommy’s voice.

“Uh. Yeah, I’m okay Tommy. What… what was-” He began, before being abruptly cut off by Bubby.

“Who even cares, let’s get a fucking move on.” His voice was at a disconnect from his face, which pleaded with Gordon to drop the topic. “Tommy, can you carry the boot bitch?” 

“I’ve got him.” Tommy grabbed the soldier’s midsection before slinging him over his shoulder. Gordon balked at the doctor’s surprising strength.

“Jesus, Tommy, that guy’s gotta be at least 200 pounds! Are you good?” 

“I’m fine, Doctor Freeman! Sunkist doesn’t like walking on hot asphalt, so I’m used to- I have to carry him sometimes, and he’s way heavier than Forzen!” He answered, smiling at the thought of his dog. He looked back at Doctor Coomer then, his expression returning to a frown. “I-I’m sorry for yelling, Doctor Bubby. We really should get somewhere safe if we’re gonna... go and help- we’re gonna save Doctor Coomer.” He said, apologetically. 

“... Let’s just go already.” Bubby slid his hands under the doctor’s knees and chest, struggling for only a moment to pick him up in a sort of bridal carry. Coomer was terribly compact for someone so short. He looked even smaller right now in Bubby’s arms. Tommy and Gordon looked on in worry as Bubby kept staring at Coomer.

“Bubby?” Gordon asked gently. Bubby looked up in surprise before scowling, standing up with a small grunt of exertion. He began to walk to the front of the group, stopping suddenly behind Tommy. 

“I can’t lead right now, can I.” Bubby said, exasperation clear in his voice. 

“Well, I mean, you should be okay for now! Mr. Freeman and I will have your back!” Tommy answered him cheerily. 

“No, I mean, if I can’t fight back while holding him…” Bubby gently shifted Coomer in his arms, unholstering his pistol from his hip. He held it by the handle for a moment before switching his grip to the barrel, offering it to Gordon. 

“Here. You need to be point right now.” Gordon looked confused for a minute, his arm limp at his side. “Listen, I don’t want to run into something again like I did back there while carrying him. Will you just fucking take it?” Realization flashing across his face, Gordon nodded and took the gun. “Alright. I’ll guide you for now.”

They continued down the halls of the lab, careful around the more high tech implements of the Lambda Lab. They were close enough to the surface that the air smelled like desert, excluding the over sanitized test rooms. The giant pita cutters were easy enough to avoid, even while carrying Doctor Coomer. He did always have snacks on him, after all! It wasn’t long before the three of them encountered a familiar face. 

“someone straight, took a dump... in the last room.” Benrey began before Gordon tried shooting him. He missed every shot, of course, instead hitting the guard next to him. Blood loss could do that to a man’s aim. “Hey you, uh, got one of these?” He asked Gordon, pulling out his passport. 

“No. No no no no no…” Gordon said as Benrey turned his gaze to the rest of the group. 

“oh yo, what the fuck? what happened to the old guy?” He said, looking at Coomer. He promptly put his passport away before approaching them, while Gordon raised his gun towards him again.

“No FUCKING way are you going near them right now.” Vitriol was apparent in Gordon’s voice as he protected his friends. “After the shit you pulled with the group? After what happened with my FUCKING arm???” Benrey put his hands up in response.

“yeah, haha, but like. he’s not supposed to be like that? like uh. he’s not supposed to be able. to do that. can i like. see? please?” Benrey asked again, worry raising in his voice. 

“Wh-no! You’re gonna try to tell me this wasn’t your fault? You’re the one who knows Forzen and the rest of the boot boys!” Gordon yelled at him. “Speaking of which, we’ve fucking got him if you haven’t noticed.”

“really?” Tommy waved at Benry, Forzen still slung over his shoulder. “niiiiiiiiiiice. nah we’re not friends. he was way too into school stuff for me.” Realization came over Benrey’s face. “damn, was he the one who did this?” The room was quiet. “shit, he’s not supposed to be able to do that, we need to… to get somewhere better.” Benrey stopped, squinting at the distance. “yeah that’ll work.” 

“What’ll… oh, woah!” Gordon grabbed Tommy’s arm for balance as the group found themselves suspended in midair, black void surrounding them. It only lasted for a moment before they were dropped in what looked like a hospital room. “What the FUCK.” 

“chillax. i found a cool hangout spot for uh. for the grandpa.” Benrey smacked his lips and turned to Tommy. “You two can wait in the hall for a lil. there’s a vending machine. got soda n nutty buddies.”

Tommy looked at Benrey strangely for a moment before grabbing Gordon’s left hand and walking out of the room, despite his protests. The door shut behind them and Benrey turned back to Bubby and Coomer. 

“so. uh, like, your guy is okay. there shouldn’t be long term damage or anything.” He stated plainly. 

“How the fuck would you know?” Bubby asked, stepping away from the guard and turning Coomer towards the wall, out of Benrey’s line of sight.

“it’s no biggie, it used to happen to me allllllll the time. it was that weird shape thing, right? like a… like a rubix but made of lightsabers.” He avoided eye contact with the doctor.

“You mean that fucked up cube?” Benrey nodded, still looking away. “I… Yes, it was directed at me but he jumped in the way.”

“ohhhhhhhh okay that makes a ton of sense. it only has long term effects on black… on black mesa property. haha. he should be okay eventually.” Benrey answered before pointing to the hospital bed across from him. “you can put him down if you want, bro.”

“So okay. Wait. You’ve been shocked by these before?” 

“yeah it’s like. a containment unit? but for your brain or heart or whatever. mushy, mushy ass human guts. or thoughts. so like. a clone couldn’t do something the scientists doesn’t want them to. or a test tube baby.” he sat down on the floor, picking up a feather absentmindedly. “when you’re not made by them, it just fucks you up for a little bit. especially when it’s been done a few times in a row. but uh, yeah, never worked on me so it shouldn’t on him.” Bubby kept staring at him, so he got up. “i’m gonna. gonna go. maybe sleep? please?” he stepped out of the room while Bubby put Coomer down.

The rest of the group had fallen asleep in the hallway outside, leaving just Bubby. He sat next to Coomer’s bed in a rolling office chair, the best he could find in the strange room Benrey had brought them to. His hand had been holding Coomers since he had to put him down. His other hand was balled in a fist on his lap. “You really had to fuck it up this time, huh, Harold?” He said with a curt laugh. “You really just needed to get into the way of dangerous military test weapons. And for what? For me?” Bubby’s fist started to tremble.

“I know I’m amazing and all, but still. You didn’t have any faith that I could handle a direct hit, did you? I am the ultimate lifeform after all. I could take it.” He unclenched his hand, bringing it up to Coomer’s face. “It’d be better than this. I can’t take…” Bubby pushed a few of Coomer’s stray hairs back, his palm settling on his cheek. “I can’t take seeing you like this. So if you can hear me, you’d better pay attention. I need you to wake up. You will be alright, and back to saying some smart things so I don’t have to listen to Freeman’s rants about his little baby dumb shit or whatever, and I’ll be able to absolutely toast that fucking soldier with you cheering me on. And when we get to the surface, I’m finally going to take you on a date that isn’t just us in one of our dorms. I’ll get us wine, or whatever the hell fancy things real people drink on dates, and spaghetti, and we’ll beat up some idiots outside of a concert venue. We could even get a house together or some domestic shit. Anywhere but in the desert.” Bubby absentmindedly rubbed his thumb across the back of Coomer’s hand. 

“First, though, you need to wake the fuck up. I need you to… Fucking…” Bubby took off his glasses, using the sleeve of his coat to wipe his eyes. “Please, Harold. I… I won’t lose you like this. I can’t lose you.”

Bubby put his glasses on the nightstand next to Coomers bed, tears still streaming down his face. “Harold, please.” Both his hands gripped Coomers. “Please, please, please…” he kept pleading. His cries continued quietly in the silence of the room, echoing back to him. His face began to heat, evaporating the tears as they came with his intense temperature. It was a while before his breathing started to even out again, a strange sense of empty calm falling over him.

“I want you to be safe. I want you to be here.” Bubby stood slightly, leaning forward to kiss Coomer’s cheek. “I love you, Harold.” He sat back down, smiling mutedly at the man. 

His gaze began to unfocus, staring out into the hallway through the small window. Gordon had passed out against the wall, using Tommy’s shoulder as a pillow. Benrey was on the floor, head on Tommy’s lap with his helmet slightly askew, revealing some of his hair. It looked like Tommy started to braid it before falling asleep, his fingers still entwined with the ends. Bubby rolled his eyes with a smirk. A small noise behind him made his shoulders jump, quickly turning around. 

Coomer shifted slightly, starting to prop himself up on his elbows. “I- Bubby?” He asked, eyes blinking rapidly as he squinted. 

“Harold!” Bubby cried out in joy, kicking his chair back to kneel next to the bed at eye-level with Coomer. He was barely able to register when Coomer leaned forward to hug him. 

“Bubby! Are you alright? Are you hurt?” He asked, holding him close. “You almost got zapped, what were you thinking?” Coomer’s arms tightened their grasp with worry. 

“I am fine! You’re the one who got gooped back there!” Bubby pulled back to scold Coomer. “Why on earth did you- oh.” Bubby’s eyes drifted to Coomer’s cheek, where a small red mark made itself apparent. A minor burn, first degree at the very worst, but still there. And still very much in the exact same place that Bubby had kissed him earlier. “Oh dear.” 

“What? Is there something on my-” Coomer looked at his reflection in the window in front of him, his hand raising to the small mark. Bubby watched Coomer do the mental math with embarrassment, a blush rushing to his face. “Doctor. Is there something you want to share with me? About how I got this lovely new smooch mark on my face?” Coomer said, a teasing tone in his voice. 

“Mmph. No.” Bubby looked away from Coomer. “What? Shut up.” Coomer’s smile only grew wider, getting up to kneel on the bed. 

“Are you certain? There isn’t anyone here who might have some… pyrokinetic tendencies? Who could find me extremely kissable?” He joked.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.” His face was redder now, the ends of his hair curling slightly with the increase of heat. 

“Well. I’ll just have to give you an example.” Coomer reached out his hand to Bubby’s face, cupping his cheek gently before giving him a quick peck. “See? Exactly like that, to someone as smoochable as yourself.” Bubby was a bit dumbfounded, just looking up at Coomer with wide eyes. “Still don’t understand? I’d be happy to demonstrate again, with variances!” Coomer used his extendo arms to scoop Bubby up from the floor, bringing him up to the bed to an onslaught of kisses, ending with the Doctor’s moustache starting to singe. “Oh dear!” he leaned back, patting his upper lip quickly to stop the fire. 

“Harold, you’re unbelievable.” Bubby began to gently fan them both with his hands, cooling them off. “Honestly, I can’t even give my unconscious boyfriend a peck on the cheek without him blowing it out of proportion.”

“Unconscious?” Coomer asked. “How long was I out?” Bubby began to explain the dealings with Forzen, and how they ended up in their current room. With a few embellishments, of course, to cover just how mopey he had gotten. As he ended his recount, Coomer stared at him with his hands folded together in front of his face, trying to keep his grin small.

“Why are you looking at me like that. What’s happening.” Coomer grabbed Bubby’s hands in his own, still grinning from ear to ear.

“Bubby, darling, did you wake me up with the Power of True Love™?” He was still smiling as Bubby’s eyes narrowed. 

“What? No, you just woke up now.”

“After you kissed me. Because you love me.” Coomer felt Bubby begin to heat up again. “If it makes you feel any better, Doctor, the feeling is mutual.” He raised his eyebrows jokingly.

“Obviously, at this point.” Bubby said. “I did carry you for however long it took to get here. Do you think I would have done that for anyone else?”

“My hero.” Coomer wrapped his arm around Bubby’s waist, pulling him closer for a kiss. 

“You’re goddamn right.” They stayed like that for a while, before lying back on the uncomfortable hospital mattress. Coomer, held tight to Bubby’s chest, watched as the taller scientist fell asleep with a dopey smile, reveling in his company.


End file.
